Russian cyclist Alexander Vlasov has turned down the chance to participate in the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris due to his “very busy calendar,” a top Russian sporting official said on Thursday.
Vlasov, 28, was one of 14 Russian athletes approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over the weekend to compete in the games under a neutral flag.
The IOC suspended Russia from the 2024 Games last year but gave the green light for its athletes to compete as neutrals as long as they did not actively support the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine.
“The profile of the Paris track doesn’t suit him,” the head of the Russian Cycling Federation, Vyacheslav Ekimov, told the state-run TASS news agency. “And the athlete has a very busy calendar.”
Vlasov won the 2022 Tour of Romandie and came fourth in the 2021 Giro d’Italia.
Fourteen Russians were included on the IOC’s initial list of “Individual Neutral Athletes” eligible to compete in the Paris Games. More than half were wrestlers and the others were from trampoline gymnastics and road cycling.
The athletes had to qualify for the games and pass two checks — first by their international sports federations and then by the IOC — to prove they did not actively support the invasion of Ukraine or have any links with the Russian military.
The IOC will update its list as other sports complete their qualifying competitions.
… we have a small favor to ask. As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a “foreign agent” by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It’s quick to set up, and you can be confident that you’re making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.
Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.
×
Remind me next month
Thank you! Your reminder is set.
